SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
USING COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS
Since the very earliest of times, earth has been used as a major building material and today we can find evidence of this fact over vast areas of our planet. The development of industrial building materials such as concrete and steel have to a large extent suppressed the use of unfired earth.
Today however, we witness a re-awaking of the use of this traditional building material, not only in developing countries, but also significantly in the developed western world. Earth, which has often been criticized for its susceptibility towards moisture and its lack of durability, has in its development form many advantages with its use for the construction of low-cost buildings.
Using modern construction technology, earth can be said to have the following advantages: Using modern construction technology earth can be said to have the following advantages:
Present day use of earth as a building material ranges from the most straightforward construction techniques to more advanced industrial processes. Furthermore, recent research shows that the production and use of earth building blocks is in every way as reliable as the various modern alternatives. The idea of industrial production of earth blocks was born some 25 years ago, where the first blocks were mechanically pressed. Today the use of earth blocks is no longer confined to use by local builders/craftsmen, but it is applicable on a far larger scale.
C.E.B.īS MAKE BIOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION ECONOMICALLY VIABLE
Earth, the oldest of building materials on our planet, is still today the most commonly used.
It is also the most popular material amongst Europe's bio-ecological constructors on account of its physical attributes and ability to regulate moisture and temperature.
This in turn allows for heating/energy reductions of up to 30 % and in some cases even up to 80 %.
"Earth, the 'most living' of building
materials
influences the indoor climate - ventilation in a positive way"
The technology behind the production of compressed earth blocks is based on a mechanical process. This ensures a high quality product regular in dimension and of durability consistent with high quality traditional brick building. Earth, as opposed to pure clay, is the raw material used in the production of earth blocks. By earth, we mean a combination of clay (ca. 15 - 20 %) silt, sand and stones, other substances and oxygen. Generally speaking, this raw material can be found about 20 - 30 cm under the fertile topsoil. The earth soil often comes to the surface during the preparation of the foundation on building sites. On some sites it may be necessary to add clay, if earth is to be used for block manufacturing on site.
By making use of a specially developed transportable mechanical press, it is possible to produce compressed earth blocks from earth on the actual building site.
The energy required for this production process is 100 - 200 times less than is the case in the production of conventional bricks and concrete.
One litre of diesel fuel is all that is required to produce 200 earth blocks, and with a rate of 5 - 6 blocks per minute, a daily production of 2.400 - 3.000 blocks can be achieve
ECONOMICAL ASPECTS
The soil used for the production of earth blocks is a soil with a certain clay content which, in relation to the ceramic industry, is often considered unsuitable, or even as refuse, which in turn makes for an inexpensive raw material. The practical mechanization of the manufacturing process also means that the finished product is eminently comparable to other building materials. This picture however is not complete, since the manufacturing costs of traditional building materials do not take into account the cost to the environment for future generations. Some of the traditional materials therefore appear cheaper than they would be if one took into account this cost to future generations.
Since compressed earth-blocks are environmentally friendly, robust and biodegradable, they are able to withstand the most thorough scrutiny pertinent to the demands for sustainable and environmentally correct building today. The advantage to the indoor climate the raw product itself, and the natural sheen on the outer surface caused by the reflection of silica and crystal, gives the finished building an aesthetic quality, a depth of colour that further enhances the value of the product.
SOCIAL ASPECTS
If the raw materials are locally available, the advantages of the mechanical press are increased inasmuch as the saving of energy becomes a genuine factor, thereby increasing the possibilities of carrying out the entire process on site, which in turn increases the enthusiasm of the entrepreneur. In this case, the manufacturer of the earth blocks and the aforementioned entrepreneur are able to work closely together, exchanging experiences and adjusting the building procedure along the way.